Roy could feel the headache coming on, and knew that there was no stopping it. This conversation was getting old. "You have to see him before you leave."

Tim sat at the kitchen table, staring at the oatmeal in front of him. He wasn't hungry anymore…he hadn't been since the conversation had started. "I don't want to."

Roy nudged him as he tried to get Tim to see reason. "Come on, Timmy. He's your brother."

Tim sighed dejectedly. "He's busy."

"Not that busy."

"Fine, then I'm busy."

Roy folded his arms over his chest and glared at him. "You're not that busy either."

"He doesn't want to see me, Roy."

Roy softened slightly at that. Of course Tim thought that, after all, it wasn't like Dick had tried to see him after their last fight, despite what both of them had expected. "Sure he does."

"Fine, then I don't want to see him."

Roy didn't see a point in asking why. It wasn't as though Tim was going to tell him, anyway. "That's not an acceptable answer."

"You said I had to talk to him before I left. You never said I had to actually see him."

"Tim…"

Tim interrupted him before Roy could say anything else. "No, there is absolutely no way that this can end well."

"What's the worst thing that he can do to you?"

Tim raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you seriously asking that question? He was trained by Batman. What do you think is the worst thing that he could do to me?"

Roy rolled his eyes. "It's Dick. He's not going to stick you in a psych ward or something."

Tim folded his arms over his chest. "There's no actual proof of that."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not. I'm being logical."

Roy laughed, because if this was what Tim thought logic was, he really didn't want to see what Tim thought illogic was. "How the hell are you being logical, Tim?"

Tim rolled his eyes. "Have you not seen the way that Dick has been treating me lately? Being around him just doesn't end well."

"What? Because of one fight?"

Tim shook his head. "No, because it's the same fight every time. You get it. Why can't he?"

"Because he's worried about you."

Tim was truly perplexed by Roy's answer. "So, you're not?"

"What?"

"You just said that he's worried about me, and that's why he doesn't get it. So, that means that you're not worried about me and that's why you get it."

"No."

"Good, because that doesn't make any sense."

Roy laughed again. Tim was funny when he was confused. His forehead crinkled, and it was obvious that he was annoyed. "Dick is worried about you, and unfortunately, that means he doesn't see anything else beyond the reasons that he should be worried."

"So, he doesn't get it because, once again, his emotions are blinding him."

Roy nodded. "Kinda, yeah."

Tim sighed again. "Why is he like that?"

"Because while you're all about logic and facts; Dick tends to be more concerned with emotions and people."

Tim hummed to himself in agreement. "Well, I'm sure you won't mind explaining my position to him when you tell him where I've gone."

Roy shook his head. "Nice try, little bird, but you're going to have to tell him that on your own…when you see him."

"Look, Roy, I appreciate everything that you've done for me. I really do, but seeing Dick isn't going to happen."

Roy sighed. Why did Tim have to make everything so complicated? "Look, Tim, I'm not letting you leave until you've seen and talked to him--and I mean a real talk. Not a half-assed bat attempt."

Tim folded his arms over his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he was all Bat-attitude. "And how exactly do you foresee that happening, Roy?"

Roy gave a half self-satisfied smirk. "I invited him over two hours ago. He should be here soon."

Tim's facial expression went from the type of blank that he used while working to actually worried the moment the words had left Roy's mouth. Before Roy could say anything to reassure him, Tim was on his way to the window. Tim had the window open and was already halfway out of it when Roy caught up to him. "Tim, wait!"

To Roy's surprise, Tim actually started climbing back into the window. It wasn't until he saw who entered after Tim that Roy realized why exactly that was. Tim stared sheepishly down at the ground. "Hey, Dick."

Dick smiled at Tim in a way that seemed as though he was trying not to scare him off. "Hey, little brother."

The two of them stood there awkwardly, not talking for a while. Roy rolled his eyes at them. He did not call Dick over here to stand in the middle of his living room trying to outdo Tim's silence. "Tim, I think you have something to say to Dick."

Roy was actually fairly impressed with Tim's death glare. "First off, I'm not your child, and second, I really don't have anything to say to him."

Roy couldn't decide if he wanted to sigh, roll his eyes, or glare at that one. "Oh, really?"

Tim gave him a look, and Roy knew that he wasn't going to like whatever Tim was about to say. "There is something else I want to say to you, Dick. I hope Damian doesn't kill you in your sleep." The hair on the back of Roy's neck stood on end at the smile Tim gave them.

Dick sighed. "When are you going to get over that?"

Tim shrugged. "When I feel like it."

Dick glared at him. "I'm trying to be nice and understanding here, and you're just being an ass."

Tim took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then released it slowly. "Sorry." Tim was silent for a moment before he started heading towards the window again. "I'm going to get going. I'll see you around, Dick."

Roy figured that was probably the best he could hope for, and was about to walk away himself when he noticed that Dick was moving toward the window too. "Oh no," was all that he was able to say before Dick had Tim wrapped in a hug.

"I'm sorry…" at the way Tim tensed at his words, Dick continued, "…for everything. I'm sorry that you felt you couldn't come to me. I'm sorry that the street seemed like a better option than your family. I'm sorry that I made the street a better option than your family. I'm sorry that, instead of just being happy that you were safe and letting someone help you, I got jealous and bitchy because that someone wasn't me. I'm sorry that I made you feel like I didn't want you or need you. I should have seen how much Robin meant to you, and I should have discussed it with you before I let Damian become Robin. I'm sorry that I overlooked how that would hurt you because of how mature you are. I should have known that no amount of maturity would have kept you from being hurt by that decision. I'm sorry that I didn't even try to understand your side of this. Please, just come home."

Roy just blinked a few times. He hadn't actually expected any of that to happen, and he had to admit that he was actually really impressed with how Dick was acting, and maybe even a little proud. It had been a long time since he'd seen Robbie act in such a way--even to Tim. However, Tim still hadn't responded yet, and that worried him. The three of them stood in silence for a time, until finally Tim extricated himself from Dick's embrace. "I want to…I really want to, but I can't."

Dick looked so hurt at Tim's words that Roy was fairly certain that he was going to fall apart and Roy was going to have to comfort him once Tim left. "Why, Timmy? Why?"

Tim stared down at the ground again. "I don't care if you think it's stupid, or crazy, or whatever. I'm going to find Bruce."

Dick nodded once. "Okay, but what about after that?"

Tim looked shocked and confused. "What? What do you mean 'after that'?"

"What about after that? Are you coming back? Are you coming home?"

Dick looked so hopeful that Roy was actually really worried about what answer Tim was going to give him. If he said no--if he said he just couldn't, if he didn't say anything at all, if he just gave Dick the wrong facial expression--Roy knew that Dick was going to end up being heartbroken, and Roy was pretty sure that there wasn't anything he could do to fix that. Tim gave Dick the smallest of smiles and nodded once. "Of course, I'm coming back. Dick, don't be ridiculous."

Roy gave a sigh of relief, before he even consciously knew it, at the same time that Dick did. They all smiled as Dick pulled Tim into another hug. The three of them said their goodbyes, and Roy watched with Dick as Tim exited out of his window. After a few moments, Dick turned to face Roy. "Do you think that he'll be okay?"

Roy smiled as he started walking toward his kitchen. "Yeah, I do." He was surprised that, for once, he was reassuring Dick with something that he actually believed to be true.

Dick beamed at him. "Good."

Roy grinned back. "Yeah, it is."

The End

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.